Air cooler and humidifier



Nov. 6, 1928.

J. A. LUNDMARK'- AIR COOLER AND HUMIDIFIER .I l i g TER fo/vf? A. Landmark Patented Nov. -f 6, 1928.

JOHN A. LUNDMARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR COOLER AND HUMIDIFIER.

Application led April 5, 1926. Serial No. 99,705.

This invention relates to a portable air cooler and concerns itself with an apparatus whereby a current of air willV be circulated through a cooled passage for cooling, and if desired adding to the humidity of a room in a dwelling or hospital or the like, and in which the passage is of sinuous form whereby the air is properly cooled before its exit from the cooling apparatus. I

The invention comprises the novel structure and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, and in which similar reference nu-l merals refer to similar features in the different views.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a portable air cooler involving this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the air cooler.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the lower corners of the air cooler.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is-an enlarged fragmentary sectional view duplicating the left side of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional View taken upon the line VII- VII of Figure 3 or Figure 6. g 4. l

Figure 8 isan enlarged fragment-ary sectional view taken upon the line VIII- VIII of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a' modified form of air detiecting means.

As shown onl the drawings:

As an exemplitication of this invention there is shown an outer casing 1 which is supported upon casters 2 the 'top of which is closed by a removable cover 3. A series of air cooling chambers or compartments 4 extend along the inner wall of said casing. These air cooling compartments arecon'- nected together and extend around the entire inner. wall of the casing, each chamber communicating with the adjacent chamber at spaced oints whereby a sinuous or tortilous path is formed adjacent the inner wall of the casing as will now be more specifically described. i

Each compartment 4 is formed of sheet .as indicated at 7, Figure 7, and end members 8 are'confined by means of said crimped ends or flanges. EachA metal compartment is provided with an upper airvent 9V and a lower air vent 10. The air vents in alternate compartments are formed by cutting pieces out ofthe said metal. of the intermediate compartments are provided with marginal flanges 11 that extend through the apertures ot the alternate compartments and are suitably crimped over as shown in Figure 5, whereby the compartments are interconnected. It will be noted that air, in traversing these compartments will be compelled tofollow a sinuous path as indicated by the arrows in Figure 5. These compartments are f course secured or welded in contiguous relation to each other to a bottom plate or base 12 in the casing.

In the corners vof the casing are preferably square compartments 13 as shown in Figure 4, the compartments 4 being joined to the adjacent sides of the square compartments 13 as previously described.

One oi these square compartments is di vided by a diagonal partition plate 14 eX- Vtending between the opposite corners. This partition plate 14 is imperforate for the purpose of separating the air outlet 15 from .the air inlet 16. As will be noted, the air outlet 15 extends into the compartment 13 upon one side of the partition plate 14 while the inlet 16 extends into the compartment 13 upon the other side of the partition 14. A fan 15*1 (Figure 1) maybe connected to the outlet pipe 15 for exhausing the air in the air compartments whereby a vacuum is formed for drawing the air into the compartments through the inlet 16.

From the inlet 16 the air will follow the sinuous or tortuous path to the left passing through all of tlie compartments until it emerges through the outlet 15 within the space 13. Enclosed by the aforedescribed con'ipartments is anice Vcompartment (Figure 2) upon the bottom of which there yis an ice rack 17 upon which a cake of ice may be placed for cooling the metal compartments as described. If desired the current of air may be passed through the ice chamber The air vents such ends.

for the purpose of directly cooling the same by the ice. To this end a pair of lower air vents 10 at opposite ends of the casing are provided with suitable guide members 18 for receiving a slide 19. Each slide is provided with a rod 20 which extends through the top 2l of the compartment. Obviously the top of the compartments that contains the slide must be separately formed to allow the slides to enter.

The two compartments that contain the slides 19 are also provided with slides 22 upon t-heir inner ends as shown in Figures 7 and 8 for closing suitable apertures in Of course the slides 22 are provided with suitable handles 22"* by which they may be raised or lowered.

wWhen the slides 19 are in open position as shown in Figure 3 and the slides 22 are in closed position the current of air will merely follow the path through the cooling compartments. However, if the slides 19 are adjusted to close their air vents and the slides 29. are adjusted to open their air vents the current of air entering through the pipe 16 will travel through the compartments until it reaches the vent controlled by the slide 22 upon the left side as viewed in Figure 2. From that point the air will traverse the ice compartment and enter the vent controlled by the slide 22 on the right side of the casing as viewed in Figure 2. It will then travel through the compartments between such point and the outlet 15 due to the exhaust of the fan. Thus it will be seen that the current of air may be forced to circulate only through the air cooled compartment or it may be forced to circulate through 'only about half of the air cooled compartments and through the ice compartment. A

In Figure 9 I have shown a form of construction wherein alternate walls 6 and 6b of the air compartments have their free ends'spaced from the bottom and top of main container to afford a tortuous path for the air as indicated by the arrows in said figure. It will be noted that the air in passing over the water in the bottom of the container absorbs moisture thus desirably increasing the humidity of a room into which it is discharged. This water may be formed by the melting of the ice, or for winter use as ahumidifier water may be poured or otherwise introduced into the main container. Similarly the 'device may be used for fumigating or disnfecting by putting formaldehyde or a similar disinfectant in the container in the path of the circulating air.

It will be appreciated that this air cooler may he positioned in a dwelling room or in aA sick room in a hospital or in other places where it is desired to cool the temperature.

I am aware that many changes may bev made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent ranted hereon otherwise than necessitated y the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a portable air cooler, casing, interconnected air cooling compartments extending around the interior wall of said casin said compartments forming a tortuous patini, means for cooling said compartments, means for causing a circulation of air through said compartments and means for closing the path through certain compartments and allowing the air to pass in contact with said cooling means.

2. In a cooling device, an enclosed chamber, a series of cooling compartments therein forming a tortuous path, means for cooling said compartments and means for diverting the current of air from certain of said compartments and forcing-the same through the space defined by said cooling means.

3. In a portable cooler, a casing having a series of interconnected compartments therein, the walls of said compartments having upper and lower air vents, means within said casing for cooling said compartments, certain of said compartments having air vents leading to said cooling means and means for shutting off the current of air through certain compartments and passing vthe same adjacent to said cooling means.

4. In an apparatus of the type described, a casing having therein a chamber adapted to contain a cooling medium, disinfectant and the likey and also having therein a series of interconnected air circulating compartments forming a tortuous air circulating path, means for causing a circulation of air through said compartments, and means for closing the path through certain compartments and diverting the air in circulation through said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN A. LUN DMARK. 

